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Computer Networking First-Step Review by Scott Perry
Great book for a green newbie that doesn't want the Dummy/Idiot series
"This book is intended for anyone who needs to know a 'little' about networking, but it also requires almost 'no' prerequisite knowledge." It is an "easy first step toward learning about networking." If you are intimidated about "taking a doozy of a step off the networking ledge" or about getting a book "geared toward people who want to be networking geeks", then this book is just about perfect. I've read other books that don't flow well, or are too "chatty," but this book strikes a good balance. They were a few parts that were a bit redundant, and dragged on a bit long, but it was done in a clear fashion, and re-enforced the ideas just to make sure you got it. It covers quite a bit of material for it's style compared to most other of the newbie books that I've read. If you are a newbie who catches on fast to technical books, then you will not like it (better to get Sams Teach yourself TCP/IP in 24 hours). This book will give you the information and then explain it pretty thoroughly, and show examples.
True it does have some pretty basic coverage of what a Network really is, and terms like URL, ISP, NICs, but it did a good job talking about Ethernet frames, and subnetting. It may not be a five, but some of the reviews were too harsh for a "first step" book that tells you what to expect in the introduction. If you read this book, "you will understand the basic concepts behind a wide variety of technologies used in a typical network today."